S.T.U.N. "Evolution of Energy"
The recent uprising of pop punk has moved the punk genre away from being political, however S.T.U.N.'s recent release "Evolution of Energy" proves that bands can still be politically driven.
S.T.U.N.'s lyrics are politically insightful and decently written, but unfortunately the band lacks musical talent. The majority of songs on the release are flat and unharmonic, and although S.T.U.N. may be overlooking musical quality for lyrical intelligence, the album is essentially boring.
It is clear throughout that S.T.U.N. wants to be Anti-Flag or NOFX, but they ultimately fall flat. One does, however, have to give the band some credit for their effort and for their charged lyrics, which make some interesting points about human society.
S.T.U.N. will be playing selected Warped Tour shows this summer, but those with decent music taste would do well to skip their performances for bands that deserve audience attention.
- EMILY ZEMLER
Vans Warped Tour 2003 Tour Compilation
One of the summer's most popular music tours is the Vans Warped Tour which basically packs as many punk and pop-punk bands as humanly possible into one concert venue. And every year a sample of these bands' music is available to promote the tour.
This year the compilation is a two-disk set and boasts a total of an impressive 52 tracks. The album features a multitude of bands, which include The Used, Dropkick Murphys, Simple Plan and Less Than Jake, among others.
This is a solid, comprehensive collection of music that is a must-have for both those who love punk rock, and especially for those who want to explore the genre more fully. This CD provides evidence to the fact that punk's not dead; it is, in fact, very much alive and continually rising in popularity.
- EMILY ZEMLER
Clem Snide "Soft Spot"
Clem Snide's fourth release, "Soft Spot," is a sweet, if not at times simple, country-twanged collection of love songs.
Lead singer and guitarist Eef Barzelay constructs an amalgam of quiet, acoustic guitar driven songs that focus on the general theme of loving someone "forever, now and then." Barzelay recently married and fathered a son, and is admittedly showing off his vulnerable side on this album. This gentle tone is continued on album highlights "All Green," "Fontanelle" and "Every Moment."
Although not very complex, "Soft Spot" works because it sets no pretenses. Clem Snide has not set out to make a monumental album, but a more toned down tribute to love. Each song possesses a melodic quality that makes them easy to listen to and non-offensive. As a result, the songs flow together to create a ballad-like compilation of stories about what it's like to be in love.
- BLAIR PAYNE
Tricky "Vulnerable"
While trying to show off his "Vulnerable" side, Tricky loses himself in boring beats, uninteresting lyrics and vocals that blend together into a forgettable album.
Since his solo emergence in the mid-1990s with the quirky but enjoyable "Maxinquaye," Tricky has recorded a number of hit or miss albums. With Costanza Francavilla, his latest female collaborator, Tricky has managed to make an album that sounds more like a cheesy wannabe alternative record than the usual mixture of hip hop, alternative and rap that he is so capable of producing.
"Where I'm From" sounds more like a rap metal song than the alt-rock vibe that Tricky is clearly trying to bring forth, and the mixture of his gravelly vocals along with Francavilla's sexy, high pitched voice on "Car Crash" just come out sounding like a mess.
In short, skip this album. If you want to hear Tricky at his best, pick up a copy of "Maxinquaye" and revel in its amalgam of musical genres and offbeat lyrics, not in this dull album.
- BLAIR PAYNE
